Monthly Archives: July 2009

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Recently , i came across this link containing an article on futuristic design concepts.. i was stunned by the innovative ideas displayed . Most of the concepts were the result thinking different and practically , from the creative cigarette case to the Audi Shark – Flying Sportscar , the concepts were awesome .

You can read that article at WebDesignerDepot . Since the site contains lot of graphics it would take some time to load ,but its worth waiting 🙂

Grammar rules exist as guidelines, so this does not mean that they are written in stone! In other words, some rules can be tweaked. Here are three that can be broken.Rule no 1:Never begin your sentence with ‘and’ or ‘but’. Regardless of how this rule began, it’s alright to start your sentences with ‘and’ or ‘but’. But do keep moderation in mind — you cannot have every sentence beginning with these words!Rule no 2:Never end your sentence with a preposition. This is a rule that sees many people twisting around their sentences so that they don’t end in a preposition. The grammarian who came up with this rule did not live in the time of blogs, e-mails and Facebook. Here you can — in the interest of readability — end your sentence with a preposition.Rule no 3:Never split infinitives. This is a rule held sacred by many grammarians. However, the sentence, To go boldly where no man has ever gone before, for example, sounds better than, To boldly go where no man has ever gone before.

Founder of Microsoft Bill Gates has received the Indira Gandhi award from India. It is awarded as a recognition to eminent persons for their service in the areas of Peace, Disarmament and Development . Bill Gates who runs Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been actively involved in health and development projects in India.He has committed about $1 billion dollar in healthcare sector mainly to eradicate AIDS and polio. One of his AIDS prevention initiative targeted about 280,000 people from high risk categories.This was no easy job for his volunteers as Gates was quoted saying,”To make sure they don’t miss anybody, they also go to train stations, bus stations and ferry terminals to immunize children who are on the move,” . As a part of the prize , he was awarded 2.5 million rupees ($52,000) from the Indian government.Gates was also quoted saying that he was not a “24-hour-a-day tech person ” and “ I read a lot , some of that reading is not on a computer“.

According to Gates , not all tools of technology are useful and could be serious time wasters , if we are not careful .Gates has recently quit Facebook after he got overwhelmed by the number of friend requests that mounted to about 10,000 and he had a tough time to find out whether the person was familiar to him or some stranger . Gates who has stepped down as CEO of Microsoft feels that he would be able to spend 80% of his time in charity works and 20% for Microsoft.

This article is published in the monday issues of Times of India.This article was written by Dr V Saraswathi.

Even though he could not tell time, my three year old grandson was wearing a watch when I visited him. Later, when I was putting on my coat to leave, I asked him what time it was. He looked at his watch blankly, and then brightened. “It is time for you to go!” he said triumphantly. Those of us who can tell time can’t be smart enough to find such escape routes.

Often we commit mistakes when telling time. This is because we do not realise that there are different ways of expressing time in speech and writing. Usually, in writing, we use figures, for example, 6.30, 5.45 etc. This method is followed in time-tables and official notices. The minutes are always given in relation to the previous hour.

In conversation, however, we use words. And the way we express time in speech varies. Look at the difference between speech and writing in the text below:
Shortly before taking over as vice chancellor from his predecessor, Professor Dumbwit had to spend long hours being briefed about his responsibilities. As a result, he had to stay late in the office to attend to his work. His private secretary had to wait till after 10.30 p.m. After a week of suffering, the secretary made bold to address the vice chancellordesignate . “Sir , may I be allowed to ask a question ” he said. Being permitted to do so, he continued,”You stay in office till very late whereas the retiring VC leaves exactly at 5 o’clock . In the evening. Is it that you have not understood the work or has the workload increased” Thereafter Prof. Dumbwit left office exactly at 5.00 p.m.

Notice in writing we use figures and also abbreviations like a.m. and p.m. A.M. is abbreviation of Latin ante meridiem which means before midday. P.M. stands for post meridiem, that is, after midday. In speech, we don’t use these abbreviations but would say five o’clock in the evening or ten in the morning, for instance.

In speech, minutes up to thirty are expressed in relation to the preceding hour. For example, half past four; quarter pat six. Some say half six too. Minutes between thirty and sixty are expressed in relation to the next hour. For example, 1.50 would be ten to two and 5.43, seventeen minutes to six. Fifteen minutes past an hour is called quarter past, and thirty minutes after an hour half past. but forty five minutes after an hour is quarter to the next hour. (e.g.) 6.45 would be quarter to seven.

The exact hour is referred to as o’clock (short for of the clock).But remember not to use o’clock when a statement of minutes precedes the hour. You should say five past eleven, not five past eleven o’clock . For 12.00 hours and 24.00 hours, we use noon and midnight. Here’s a brain teaser before we close: What is two to two to two two ? The answer is four minutes; two to two means two minutes before two o’clock . Two two stands for two minutes after two o’clock .